UC Berkeley Press Release

Three faculty elected to National Academy of Engineering

By Sarah Yang, Media Relations | 12 February 2008

BERKELEY – Three faculty from the University of California, Berkeley, are among 65 new members elected to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Membership in the academy is considered one of the highest professional distinctions accorded an American engineer.

The new members, announced by the NAE on Feb. 8, are Enrique Iglesia, Chancellor Professor of Chemical Engineering at UC Berkeley and a faculty scientist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; Robert Sawyer, Class of 1935 Professor of Energy Emeritus in UC Berkeley's Department of Mechanical Engineering; and James Sethian, vice chair for undergraduate affairs and professor in the Department of Mathematics at UC Berkeley and head of the Mathematics Department at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

The newly elected UC Berkeley researchers were honored for the following:

Enrique Iglesia for his outstanding contributions to the understanding of catalyst structure-function relationships, the development of novel catalysts and leadership in the field of catalysis.

Robert Sawyer for his pioneering work in reducing energy consumption, improving the environment and for contributions to our understanding of air pollution.

James Sethian for the development of efficient methods of tracking moving interfaces.

There are now 85 UC Berkeley faculty members in the society, which has 2,227 U.S. members and 194 foreign associates.

Academy membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to the field of engineering research, practice or education. This includes significant contributions to engineering literature, the pioneering of new and developing technologies, major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, and the development and implementation of innovative approaches to engineering education.

New academy members will be inducted at an Oct. 5 ceremony in Washington, D.C.